Can a severely mentally ill person become a doctor?

Your question is a reflection of my own at the moment, Lonely Chemist. I struggle with depression and anxieties, I would like be a counselor, but do not know if it is something I am honestly capable of.

I have a read a number of your posts and find them rather well-written, charming and delightful. Have you considered perhaps taking a creative path with medical knowledge? Though it isn't the same as saving a life in the E.R., storytelling has a great ability to heal.

Calla, I have decided to ONCE AGAIN try to be a doctor... I think I need to succeed to make things better.

There are severely mentally ill people who are doctors. They sometimes do things that are not acceptable and are punished by law for their actions. One doctor with bipolar who was a gynecologist branded women with his signature on their bellies after a C-section. His lawyer said he had Pick's disease with Alzheimer's but in reality he has bipolar disorder. He had his license suspended. I don't think all severely mentally ill doctors break the law but some have to quit because their illnesses interfere with their work. For example, Debbie Thomas the Olympic champion who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder made it through residency and had a practice. However, she made too many professional mistakes and it cost her. She lost her license to practice medicine. I think it is very difficult to practice medicine with a severe mental illness. I myself have gone through medical school and graduated but did not make it through residency. This was due to my inability to perform because of my mental illness which had become very severe from lack of medication compliance. I was extremely happy to have left the medical field because I knew myself I was not suitable and not motivated in doing it. Having a severe mental illness interferes with one's good judgment which is critical in making decisions as a doctor. I would not discourage those who have a severe mental illness from becoming doctors if they are motivated and suitable for such a profession. However, there are too many examples of doctors with severe mental illness who err in judgment and take actions that are not considered very professional as a result end up harming their patients and themselves at times. The suicide rate for doctors is already high. To compound the stress one undergoes to become a doctor with a severe mental illness is a formula for a tragedy waiting to happen sometimes. People who go to medical school are not as compassionate as you may think. Some are in medicine solely for the money it makes. I met some a-holes there who were as compassionate as John Wayne Gacy. You should not believe that all who go into the medical field are in it to save people's lives. There are all kinds of people who go into medicine. Some are decent while others are not. The best doctors are also not the nicest either. There are some really mean doctors who work hard to be the best doctors. I'd rather have someone who is knowledgeable and works hard to be on top of their specialty to be my doctor rather than someone who is just nice and does not know what they are doing. Being a good doctor is hard work. A doctor who is nice and capable is hard to find these days unfortunately. Getting back to your point, there are doctors with severe mental illness. Those who are competent continue to practice while those who don't, don't make it. It is the same for all other health professions. There are severely mentally ill nurses, physician assistants, dentists, etc. They all need to be licensed and be able to perform their duties in spite of their illnesses. If they can't fulfill their duties, then they can no longer work in their profession. In a nutshell, the question is whether or not it is worth the risk of becoming a doctor given that one has a severe mental illness? I think this is up to the individual and his/her capabilities. Some doctors with severe mental illness may actually be good doctors. It depends on their decision-making ability and performance in the end. I had a psychiatrist who had Asperger's syndrome and he was quite good. He never told me about his illness but his twitches and lack of emotions made me realize he was not an ordinary person or doctor. He was very good but not a very nice person. He was very aloof but knowledgeable. I did not like him as a person but knew he was well-informed and had done his research. He was a Harvard medical school graduate. I give credit to all Harvard medical school graduates by the way. All of the doctors from Harvard are in a class by themselves. They are the best in their field and deserve respect. I have met several Harvard graduates and they have been the best doctors I have encountered. Anyways, I apologize for my ramblings.